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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — in music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mate — to breed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a skill
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — help
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com